Yes, I've decided that for Christmas all I want is a paintgun and compresser set up. Being a total noob at this, what is the best setup to just jump in and get my feet wet? I want to start small like painting interior pieces and then move on to bigger stuff like body panels and then eventually the whole car.

 

For a whole car, you need minimum 15cfm compressor with a 60gallon tank. Word of advice, do not cheap out on your gun. That is where the magic happens. Anything under $150, your wasting your money. One last note, always clean your gun after each use if you don't want to throw it in the garbage when it splatters.

 

i do not consider myself to be a good painter, but i too am in the learning stages.



i bought a really nice compressor, and tanc is right its all in the gun.

 

also don't go cheap on the air/water seperator. even a iwata gun can spray like sh*t with water in your air line.

 

I sprayed my car with a gun from harbour freight. Worked great. Got a good water separator and everything came out great. I think I only payed like 19 bucks for the gun. I tested it to make sure the spray pattern was uniform. It was, the pin-tel worked well, no splatter when the trigger was released. Your paint job has WAY more to do with your prep work than just buying a 150.00 gun.

 

The gun helps but it is 90% prep work and the time you put in before you even spray the car. Make sure everything is scuffed and cleaned before you spray. Remove everything that is practical. The real advantage of a top flight gun is less wasted paint. As long as you have a air/water seperator good quality paint and a clean area to spray your paint job will turn out like you want it. Just remember to take your time and make sure you clean everything you want to spray. And when you do spray lighter is better. It is easier to put on an additional coat then it is to remove imperfections.